Power
by lackxofcolor
Summary: Power is living while others inevitably perish. Power is cool indifference to their suffering. Power is taking nourishment from the deaths of others. Can Hermione keep hold onto this kind of power or will she give into her old ways?
1. Chapter 1

A/n: Yeah, Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, blah blah blah. The plot does. Or lack thereof. I kind of just started this…with no plans of how the story will all come together, or anything for that matter. Well read and go ahead and review, if you will. Maybe give me some ideas…

Chapter 1:

It never felt right when he was near here. When he was near _her_. Sure, she knew of his past. She probably knew more about his past than he wished to know. He knew nothing of hers, of course. No one did. If anyone did, her whole façade would be ruined. Everything she worked for would be completely ruined. No one would look at her the same. They wouldn't look at her the same, but they would respect her more. Respect her more out of fear than anything.

She looked up as he walked past. He sneered at her. She looked back down. He probably thought he had defeated her. As she stood up to close to door to the train compartment, she tried to get a good look at him. His past didn't show through him at all. She knew the reason why she never reacted to his harassment. She knew his past was haunted. She knew he did it to compensate for his disturbed childhood. The only thing she caught a glimpse of was his retreating back, his light blonde hair obvious against the dark walls of the hallway.

She picked up her book and tried to concentrate, but all she could think of was the past summer. Of course, she had gotten Head Girl. And of course, he had gotten Head Boy. It was painfully obvious how the rest of the year would go. Painstakingly slow. She looked around the compartment and remembered the fight. Of course, Harry and Ron never understood her. They only used her. She brought it up to them and they got defensive. She told them to stop using her or to not talk to her anymore. Needless to say, they chose the latter. She shook her head slightly at the thought of them. She didn't need them, anyway. She was Head Girl. She was going to be successful. Harry would go on to having an even larger ego and Ron, well with Ron, it was difficult to say.

She thought back to the day earlier in the summer when her parents told her about her _real_ past. It had always been completely obvious to her that she wasn't really her parent's child. Her parents were mere dentists. Oh, she knew she would become something so much greater than that. She would make something of her life. And she didn't need Ron and Harry getting in her way.

The book she was reading was no ordinary book. She could remember how she came across the book. It was the day she was at Malfoy Manor. Yes, Hermione Granger was at Malfoy Manor. She was there on so-called important business. Well, to her it seemed completely tedious. She snuck off to the library and picked up the book. She couldn't put it down. Complete with the history of all the dark witches and wizards, all the spells and potions that had been created by them. They had really done something with their lives. Their story was written down in history and she was reading it. They had been great. They had been what she will be.

If only he knew her real self. His father knew, but he, he would die of shock. He would get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. He would ask her why he kept it from everyone. She wanted to keep under the radar. Well, that's what her real father wanted her to do. But of course, it would be quite a while before he ever found out. But of course, one day he will. One day he'll fear her. She will finally have the upper hand with him. She _wanted_ him to know. She wanted him to fear her. She wanted to control him.

Year by year pasted, but he always felt he could control how she was, her reactions to him. He thought he was above her. For all those years, she knew he was wrong. She _knew_ there was a flaw in his belief. For a while she thought it was because she completely disagreed with what he was saying. After a while, she started agreeing. She never fought him back. She didn't cry or react. She just looked at him and he would laugh. Obviously, if he ever said those things to her now, he would be knocked down a few notches. She wouldn't put up with it this year. Not when she knew for sure. She would put him in his place. He would know.

She never did tell her father all he put her through. She didn't think it was necessary. He would get his one day, right? Karma? Yeah, but now she's thinking she should have told him. He still looks at her like she is nothing.

She looked out the window of the compartment. It was getting late. They must be arriving soon. She saw him coming up the hallway as she turned her head towards to door. He was slowing down. He stopped in front of her compartment and started opening to the door. She watched him enter her compartment. She heard him say some crude remark about her blood and why her boyfriends weren't with her. She looked at him and sighed.

He was taken aback. Why wasn't she reacting again? What had happened those past few years when she stopped caring about what he had to say? When did she get the guts to actually look at him in the eyes?

With a smirk on his face he said "Granger, stop looking at me like that. You obviously don't deserve to"

Well, he's obviously oblivious to her position over his.

"Malfoy, I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now. Leave." She said while looking him directly in the eye. His silver-blue eyes. When did eyes come in a color like that? Well, they were darkening. Apparently, her last comment angered him.

"And what makes you, a low mudblood, think _you_ can tell me when to leave?"

She shook her head and under her breath muttered "If only you knew". He looked at her and asked her to repeat herself. She shook her head. Sure, she wanted to rub it in his face, but not this soon. This wasn't the right time. She looked at him and said "I'll see you in the common room later. I'll tell you then. Not now." He looked like he was going to question her, so she pushed him out of the compartment. She saw him stop for a moment, with a look of confusion on his face. He didn't look angry. He looked worried? When did he grow emotions? Well he obviously always had them, but it was evident he did everything in his power to hide them. Emotions would bring him to his downfall. The only emotion he showed was hatred, and to be honest, she thought that was an act, too.

The train came to a jerky halt. She was looking forward to this year. She grabbed her books and left the compartment and entered the busy hallway. She followed the stream of people up to the carriages. She saw his blonde hair farther up in the crowd. She wanted to be in the same one as him, but at the same time didn't. She didn't want him to bring up what she said in the compartment. But she wanted to sit with him. She wanted to think of how she, for once, was completely above him.

After all, she was the one and only daughter of Voldemort, the Dark Lord, himself.


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Thanks so much for the reviews. They made my day. Seriously though, I do need ideas. I am kinda just writing this. I don't really have anything planned out. So if you have any really awesome ideas, let me know. You'll be given credit, don't worry. I'll try and incorporate them in the story and put my own twist on it, but you'll still be given credit for inspiring me. Put up with me. This one might not be that good and it'll probably be shorter than Chapter 1. Sorry. But thanks for reading, anyway.

Chapter 2:

Did he hear her right? She would tell him _later_? She spoke to him like they were acquaintances, friends even. Like they were equals. When did she pick up this superiority complex? She never spoke to him like that. In fact, she never spoke to him in general. She used to fear him. Why not anymore? He didn't want to wait until they got in the common room for her to tell him. He bet she wasn't planning on telling him at all. But he wanted to know _now._ He gets what he wants. He doesn't wait for anything or anybody. Especially people of _her_ status. She never should have spoken to him that way. It surprised him. It made him put his guard down. He couldn't let that happen again. He needed to see her with her guard down now, to even it out. He knew she had secrets she didn't want people to know about. Or maybe she wanted people to know. He didn't know. He knew she had secrets and a lot for that matter.

He had it all planned out. He knew she wouldn't want to sit with him in a carriage. Why would she? He didn't care. That's what he was going to do. He was going to break her in that carriage. He was going to make her tell him everything. She would be easy to break. She was obviously weak. Sure, she could talk back to him, but she had _just _started looking him in the eye when he spoke to her. It was probably just a one time thing anyway. She was feeling strong today. He would break her down. _And_ he would make her fall for him. He had absolutely no intention of falling for _her_. It was just part of his plan. His plan to make her weak, to make her put her guard down, even for one night. That's all he cared about.

He walked off the train and looked for her slightly bushy brown hair. He saw her looking around for someone. Probably Potter and Weasley. Why did she even bother with them? He supposed they made her feel good about herself. Maybe they kept her around to feel better about _themselves_. She looked his way. Their eyes met. She turned away quickly. He already thought she was getting weaker. Just _looking_ at him made her fearful. He silently followed her to a carriage. She appeared to be by herself. Why weren't Potter and Weasley with her? He quickened his pace. No one else seemed to be entering her carriage. His pace quickened even more. He finally made it. He looked inside quickly. She was alone, reading a book as always. She seemed to never stop reading. That book looked familiar though, just like a book at Malfoy Manor. Before he got the chance to get a better look, she noticed him standing there and snatched the book out of his view. "What do I owe the pleasure?" She said snapping him back to earth. "There's no room anywhere else," he replied. They both knew very well this was a lie. There were probably enough carriages for every student to ride in their own. Neither of them said anything though.

Hermione was nervous. Yes, she was nervous. His presence made her nervous. She knew the type of people he grew up with. She knew the immense training he had gone through to break people. She was nervous, yes, but she had faith in herself. Sure, he was unbelievably strong, hardly ever letting his guard down, but she had never let hers down either. She supposed he had just come here to merely annoy him. She never suspected he would try and get anything out of her.

"Granger, what were you saying on the train." And then that hope left her head. "Nothing. I told you to forget it. I was planning on telling you later, but now I don't think I'm going to." He wasn't getting frustrated, angry, anything. He didn't have a reaction. If anything, he seemed…_amused?_

"You _will_ tell me." She was contemplating telling him. He probably wouldn't even believe her. And in the slim chance he did, well then good. She would get what she wanted. To be above him. For him to fear her. For him to beg for forgiveness of the years of name calling and harassment he put her through. To beg to not tell her father what he had done.

"I'm Voldemort's daughter," she replied. He stared at her. His mouth was slightly open. He blinked. "I'm serious, tell me the truth," he replied.

"I did, didn't I?" She spat back. "Why didn't you ever tell anyone?" He said with the shock still evident in his voice, something that is not Malfoy-esque at all. He was doing a horrible job at hiding his emotions today.

"People wouldn't look at me the same, would they? People would hate me. Everyone except people like you. Not to mention, I didn't find out for sure until this summer," she replied bluntly.

"What do you mean, 'For sure'?" he inquired. "I found out this summer. My adopted parents told me. I always had a feeling though. Soon, whenever you taunted me, I started to agree with what you were saying. If I truly was the daughter of muggle dentists, why would I agree with you?"

They sat in silence for a few minutes. He was staring at her thinking how bookworm Hermione Granger, or is it Riddle now, is the daughter of the _Dark Lord._ Surely his father would have known, right? His father was often referred to as the Dark Lord's right hand man. Why didn't he tell him?

"Did my father know?" She looked up from her book. "What? Oh, yeah, he did. Why?" His face clouded with anger. "Why didn't he _tell_ me?" he growled. "My father didn't want you to know. He still doesn't want you to know. But _I_ wanted you to know." He became silent again. He wanted to ask her why she wanted him to know. He had many questions. One of them being why he believed her. If anyone else came up to him and said that, he would have laughed in their face. He supposed there was sincerity in her voice. Almost as if she was unsure of how she felt about it.

Hermione knew how she felt about being the one and only daughter of the Dark Lord. She didn't know how she felt about Draco. What would happen now that he knew? Would he treat her differently? Did she care? Did she care about _him_? She could tell he looked at her differently. Out of awe or anger, she could not tell. But she knew something had changed in him.

He knew he was jealous. She had the power he always wanted. In the matter of seconds, she gained the upper hand. He didn't know how to feel. About her, about anything for that matter.

In a matter of seconds, his whole view on her changed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: I know it's been about 6 months since I've written. This is due to 1) lack of inspiration, 2) Word not working on my computer, 3) being sick, and 4) having already written this whole chapter out and then losing it when my computer decided it was going to shut down Word ! And I have decided to tab my paragraphs now. Hhhooookay.

She quickly hopped out of the carriage as to avoid any further contact with him. She knew that in the future, nothing she did would be able to block their relationship, but for now it was easy: walk away from him.

He was slightly disappointed when she left so quickly. Now that she was, in essence, one of them, why couldn't she be near him? Not only did he feel weaker than her, he felt she was _still_ hiding something from him. After he had been completely open around her, he completely let his guard down for Christ's sake and she still acted like nothing happened when she confided that unbelievable secret in him.

She walked into the Entrance Hall and quickly into the Great Hall. As soon as she opened the doors, a predicament came up. Where would she sit? She obviously would not give him the satisfaction of knowing, well _thinking_, she was dependent on him. She stared at the 4 long house tables. She saw Harry and Ron sit down. Ginny was following close behind. For a fleeting instant, there was a pang of regret for fighting with Harry and Ron. Then she remembered that even if they hadn't fought over summer, whenever they found out, it would happen, and be ten times worse that it was. She walked deeper into the Great Hall and reluctantly took a seat at the end of the Gryffindor table, close enough to everyone else so it didn't look obvious, but far enough so she could have her own privacy.

She was halfway paying attention during the sorting, but by the time Dumbledore was giving his welcoming speech, she was gone. She thought back to the fight with Harry and Ron and how if they would have found out, it would have been ten times worse. Then she thought about how they_ will_ react when they find out. What will everyone do? What will they say when they know she is out of earshot? What if the only people who _actually_ like her are rotten Slytherins. And what if those rotten Slytherins were only pretending to like her because of her status. What is they didn't like her at all, either?

Sure, she was the daughter of the most powerful and dark wizard alive, but she still had worries. By now, she was frantic. She wanted dinner to be over with so she could just go to her room. But that would mean being near him. Now, as much as she would like to deny it, he was the one who knew her best. He had known her for 7 years. Yes, they hated each other during that time, but he still knew her. Enemies need to know what makes the other tick. And now he knew about her _true _heritage.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when loads of elaborate food appeared in front of her. She slowly ate some food and was relieved when she got the chance to stand up to go talk to Professor McGonagall about her dorm situation. She stood up and was slightly shaken when she realized she would have to walk past Harry and Ron. As soon as she walked by, Harry smirked at her.

"I see you are too _frightened_ to sit with us Hermione?" He said as if expecting the whole room to burst into laughter and then looking slightly ashamed when he only got a laugh from Ron.

Hermione continued walking by while muttering about how she was not _frightened_, just that she could not lower herself to sit with those people, if she could even call them people when they acted more like dogs...especially around food. They looked shocked and Harry shook it off by putting his fork of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

Soon, she was at the head table. She asked Professor McGonagall what to do and she said she would have to wait for him to be done eating. She looked towards his table to find that he had already been staring at her. She motioned for him to come over, seeing as it looked as though he hadn't even eaten.

He had been watching her walk up to the head table. He had been watching her during the small spat between her, Harry, and Ron. He watched how they were shocked by something she said in return. He watched her speak to Professor McGonagall. He watched her wave over to him. Wait, _what?_ His eyebrow instinctively rose and he himself rose out of his seat at the table.

As he approached the table, she gave him an impatient look. He walked closer before she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the table. He looked taken by surprise. She looked up at Professor McGonagall waiting for an answer. She told them to walk to the 3rd floor and it would be behind an old painting of a girl named Carrie in her backyard. The password would be _coluber et leo. _ She quickly thanked the professor and grabbed his arm and led the way to the exit of the Hall. As soon as they were out, she let go and continued to quickly walk on her way to the 3rd floor.

She knew she would have to tell him the whole truth soon, and she figured the sooner the better.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: The last chapter was really short: sorry. I'll try and make this one longer, but I'm not making any promises. I honestly still only have a SLIGHT idea of where I'm going with this, andddddd yeah. So I'm welcome to ideas. You'll be given credit, of course.

Thanks. And I like to write these after 1 am. So sorry. If it sucks. . 

After about 5 minutes, she looked behind her and didn't see him anywhere. Therefore, she walked slowly. Well she only walked slowly because she was going somewhere she wasn't necessarily looking forward to going to. And it wasn't really even that. It was just that she didn't want to be in the Great Hall anymore, but she definitely didn't want to be in close quarters with him. And it wasn't even _that_ either. She just didn't want to tell him the whole truth. And it wasn't even _that._ She just didn't want to deal with his reaction.

His reaction. Well, that could be difficult to place. He _has_ been much friendly to her lately, but obviously that had much to do with her status as the Dark Lord's one and only daughter. The Dark Lord's one and only _pureblood_ daughter.

It's not like she had changed her looks or anything. No one actually remembered what Tom Riddle actually looked like, and those who did, like Dumbledore, would have never tied the two polar opposites together. Especially when she had two loving parents at home.

But back to his reaction. He could either be insanely angry, or he could be happy. Or he could be indifferent. So that narrows it down. Her first choice would be indifferent. It'd better him not caring than being with her and all over her all the time.

And it would be better than angry, because no matter how little she wants to admit it to herself; she wouldn't want him to be angry. But if she had to pick between angry or happy, obviously she would pick happy. Hugs are better than death glares.

Before she knew it, even with her slow walk, she arrived at the portrait. She muttered the password and entered the room. Her eyes had been closed due to the dull ache that was slowly taking over the better part of her head.

But as she slowly opened her eyes, a small gasp couldn't help but escape from her mouth. Around her was a dark red room. Not Gryffindor maroon, but blood, dark, red. The fireplace was dark marble with cherry wood fixings. The couch was an ivory color with perfectly matching pillows. There were two dark brown leather chairs surrounding the couch, with a couple small cherry wood coffee tables. Farther down in the room, there was a shelf of books. At least she'd be able to spend her time here, instead of the place where Harry and Ron always looked for her, the library.

To her right, there was a full sized kitchen, equip with everything they could ever need, everything from a refrigerator to a juicer. Not to mention the cupboards that automatically filled themselves with whatever they wanted.

To her left, there was a winding staircase that led to an upstairs. She followed the staircase until she met a hallway that looked relatively long. The floor was dark cherry wood, matching with the downstairs theme. She walked down the hallway, which was quite wide for a hallway, the side next to the staircase being just a railing so you could see the room below, and the other wall covered in various paintings.

The first door she encountered appeared to be his, due to the large "D" on the doorframe. She opened the door and peaked in. Slytherin colors. Surprise there. But not…ugly. It was tasteful.

The next door was hers, due to the large "H" on the doorframe. She walked in. It wasn't in Gryffindor colors, like she expected. It was in a deep plum color. The furniture wasn't cherry wood like the others, but it was a very dark wood. She had a small bookcase for personal books, a full closet, and two dressers. The carpet was plush ivory.

The walls had pictures of her and friends from home, a few posters of bands, and another picture of her as a little girl.

She walked through her room gazing over everything. She walked past the bed, which was at least a queen size, that had an ivory bed spread with occasional purple flowers which matched the walls perfectly, but not too girly. Just…normal.

She reached a door to which she hoped led to a bathroom, and sure enough it did. She opened the door and saw the biggest bathroom she had ever laid eyes on. The tub was surely large enough to fit at least four people, and the counter which was the length of the wall, held not one, but three sinks. There was a small wall built up, where the toilet was.

She walked out of the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Obviously, there was another door connecting to his room. So, they'd be sharing a bathroom. That'd be nothing compared to what _else_ they'd be sharing.

As soon as she made it to the first step, she heard the portrait closing again. He was here. She walked down the stairs slowly.

"What do you think of the room?" She asked lightly.

"It's alright. It will be fine. For school."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, _I_ happen to like it a lot."

"I'm not _saying_ it's not nice. It's very nice. Calm down."

She sighed and landed at the bottom of the steps. She made her way over to the plush ivory couch located directly in front of the fireplace, which was casually flickering shadows on the wall behind her.

She sat down and looked at him. He sat down next to her. She sighed. Now would be the perfect time to tell him, right?

"Hey…Draco. I, I mean. Well, I haven't told you the whole story," she sputtered. She couldn't lose her composure. She was _above him, _right? In the back of her mind she knew it wasn't true, nothing really _really_ made her above him, but she could think it.

"What else is there, are you marrying my dad or something?" He said with a small grin on his face.

"No. You."

She stared directly into his eyes as she told him. Yes, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger…well Riddle…were getting married.

This was obviously the first time he had heard this news, and he was slightly shocked to say the least. He stared into the fire in front of them. Despite her consistent cool composure, she was nervous of how he was going to react. She was ringing her hands while watching his profile for a changing expression.

Sure, he was…confused. But would it really be that bad? Probably not, it's not like she was how she _used_ to be. She wasn't a _mudblood_ anymore. She was the Dark Lord's daughter. She was powerful. Of course, he wasn't used to having a woman who was more powerful than him, or who could even construct a whole sentence while speaking. And of course, it's not like she would be _more_ powerful than him, she'd just be powerful, too, right?

Of course. She wouldn't want _all_ the responsibility and he didn't want all the responsibility. And they were both completely liable people. Maybe this would work out. It wouldn't be terrible, that's for sure. She's still smart and headstrong, but she's not insufferable anymore.

He looked at her and replied, "Well, I guess we can make it work then, can't we?"

Hermione stared and him and grinned. She was really happy this didn't take any convincing. After all, her father told her that she had to convince him. This couldn't be forced.

He grinned and said, "Is there any _other_ minor detail you forgot to tell me?"

"Ha. Ha."

For the remainder of the night, they sat on the couch trading stories about their childhoods, about random funny stories about friends or classes, just about everything.

By the end of the night, the fire had been reduced to nothing and the room was dark. She couldn't believe he was fine with this. She couldn't believe _she_ was fine with this. She was fine with spending time with him. She was fine with _marrying_ him. And by the looks of it, it seemed he was okay with it, too.

A/n: It's 2:20 am. And I'm tired. I'm pretty sure this chapter is longer. I'm listening to some AFI. Random fact of the evening/morning.


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: I changed the summery because I read it in a book- Intensity by Dean Koontz. Haha. But I liked how it sounded a lot and thought it could fit into my story. So I hope you all found the story okay. AND AGAIN, I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS. SERIOUSLYYYY. HELP? But anyways, I'm back after my Warped Tour followings and serious befriending of Anti-Flag. Not like that, creeps, but I'm home and I CAN'T EAT!

After hours upon hours of talking and laughing, they were finally tired. Hermione had been up since very early in the morning, packing and getting ready. Not to mention, telling someone they are marrying you and that you are the Dark Lord's one and only daughter can be somewhat exhausting.

The laughter from the last story Hermione told, something involving Harry, Ron, a broomstick, a lawn gnome, and a very angry Mrs. Weasley was dying down and they were both sitting on the couch facing forward looking into the just about dead fire with smiles on their faces.

Draco was the first to talk. "Ahh I'm tired."

"Me too."

After hours of talking, suddenly they were finding it awkward to be together. Maybe it was because they knew more of the other person than any one else does. Than anyone else ever has. Probably more than anyone ever will know.

He stood up. She lifted her head to look at him before decided to stand up herself. She looked at the ground and shifted her weight. _What is going on? Since when am I…nervous around _him

She quickly shook out of her trance and looked at him again. His head had been tilted down in attempt to meet her gaze. She quickly met his gaze and realized how attractive he was. How she was going to be with him for the rest of her life, with his silvery grey blue eyes, delicately pointed features and soft, straight, medium-length white blonde hair and his 6 foot 3 stature and molded body. He was also smart, second only to her. And it was only by no more than one point.

She couldn't really complain, and neither could he. She was tall, taller than most girls standing at around 5 foot 9 or 5 foot 10. Her hair was long, but not too long. It was still a little bit bushy, but mostly wavy. If she didn't do anything with it, it would turn bushy, but she always tried to take care of it. She had a cute nose with a sprinkling of freckles, light, honey brown eyes, and full, but not too full, pink lips. She was thin, but not too thin and had nice curves. And, of course, with all this came that brain of hers that could record any date, potion ingredient or spell she could come across.

Grey clashed with honey and they both stood in front of the fire awkwardly for a few moments. At the same time, they tried to speak, which only landed them in a few more moments or awkward silence.

Finally, she just looped her arms around his neck and hugged him. He was the first real friend she had since Harry and Ron and she knew it would only lead to more. He was slightly stiff and first but then his arms snaked around her waist as a smile made its way across his face.

She looked up at him with her arms still around his neck and leaned up. She pushed her lips to his. At first his whole body tensed up, but then he relaxed…just as she pulled away with a slightly panicked look on her face. She looked at him and turned slightly red. Honestly, she had to stop losing her composure around him. It was just a kiss! And not even a _real_ kiss to begin with.

He had a loose smile on his face and moved his hand from her waist to behind her neck and quickly pulled her face up to his again. Her mouth was slightly open due to the surprise of him grabbing her face and he took that as an open invitation for his tongue in her mouth. She gasped as she felt his tongue and then quickly responded.

Screw Viktor Krum. This was easily the best kiss she had ever had and it had been going for all of 10 seconds, at the most. She was brought out of these thought as she felt his tongue glide across the roof of her mouth and she let out a small moan. She pulled away from him. Despite how much she would have loved to continue what they were doing, if her father found out that he knew about her true past, let alone the plans for marriage, there would probably a small amount of hell to pay.

She pulled away and looked in his eyes as if to say sorry. She whispered a good night and attempted to go upstairs to bed. He couldn't believe she would just walk away. He quickly grabbed for her arm and pulled him back to her and kissed her quickly on the lips. She smiled at him and then ran upstairs leaving him standing by the dwindling fire.

Once she arrived in her room, she flopped down on her bed with a huge smile on her face. She really liked him. She seriously really did. And to think, mere hours before she had been looking down on him in a train compartment. Hopefully, her demeanor wouldn't fail around everyone else.

Hopefully, the only reason why she was like she was around him is because they were getting married. That was an odd thought for her. Marriage. It was really nice that he took it so well. It would be extremely hard for her to stay with someone who hated her. And it would be forever. Her father would never have allowed a divorce. And of course the unspoken expectancy of an heir. How could he _not_ expect an heir? That is, after all, what pureblooded families did. They reproduced to keep the bloodline going. And this isn't just a bloodline. This would be the Dark Lord's own grandchild, preferably grandson, but either way, his grandchild.

Within minutes, she was changed and had slipped back into bed. She reached over and turned her light out. Her head was swimming with thoughts of her marriage to him. Of living in Malfoy Manor…number two of course and the wedding itself. Soon, she fell asleep.

He slowly came out of his trance and made his way back upstairs to where his room was. He walked slowly down the hallway. He looked towards her room. He considered going in there but then thought against it. _She's probably really tired. _He quietly opened his own door and made his way towards the bathroom. He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth and made his way back into his room. He changed into a pair of boxers and laid down in his bed.

Thoughts very similar to hers were swimming through his head. He was actually kind of happy to be married to her, instead of someone like Pansy. Sure, Pansy was a good friend, very kind and loyal, but he could never stand being with her forever. She, on the other hand, was easy to talk to. She was smart and could hold up an intellectual conversation. She no longer had the air to prove she knew everything. She knew she was smart but tried not to rub it in your face unless you really deserved it.

He could deal living with a woman like her.

A/n: FIRST KISSSSSS. AHHH IT'S SO SHORT. DON'T SHOOT MEEE. My computer froze in the middle of typing this chapter so THAT WAS NICE but Word recovered the majority of it and I kind of lost most inspiration after that little incident SEEING AS IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. But I'll hopefully update soon, even though I have no inspiration and have no idea what I'm doing with this story. . ;


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: Almost two months later and here I am. Let's see where this goes.

When she woke up the next morning, she felt good. She felt well rested. And _happy._ She knew she was happy because of him. And she also knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

She was worried about her father. She knew if he found out she went against his will, she'd be in a lot of trouble. As the majority of the wizarding world knew, he had quite the temper. And this is just if he found out Draco knew about her lineage. What would he do if he found out Draco knew about the marriage.

She shook all thoughts of her powerful father from her mind and padded her way across her room and to the bathroom. She knocked to make sure he wasn't in there and when there was no reply, opened the door. She stripped herself of her clothes and went into the shower. Instantly, any remaining thought of her father was pushed away. She shampooed her hair and let the water fall on her head as her eyes closed, blocking out any noise and thought.

After what she thought may have been an eternity, she opened her eyes and finished the rest of her shower quickly. She figured he would have to be up by now and that he would need to get in the shower.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her body. She walked quickly into her room and got out her uniform and underwear. After changing, she looked at the clock. It was still only 7:30. Breakfast went until 9:30 and her first class wasn't until 10.

After drying and fixing her hair and applying eyeliner and mascara, she grabbed the book she was reading on the train and headed downstairs.

She all of a sudden was feeling tired, having woken up so early for no reason. She looked from the couch to the kitchen and finally decided to go make herself a cup of coffee. She poured the coffee into a mug and left the rest for him incase he wanted some later.

She made her way back over to the couch. She sat on the right end, her legs curled under her and an arm resting on the arm rest. She became deeply engrossed in the book.

The quiet that came after the calming noise of the shower shut off woke Draco with a start. He heard her make her way into her room. He quickly got out of bed and walked straight into the bathroom. He quickly showered and ran back into his room. He figured he was running late. He got dressed and ran downstairs.

"What are you in such a hurry for?" He heard a voice come from the other side of the room and he neared the kitchen.

He looked and saw her curled up on the couch. "What? Wait. What time is it?"

"7:45"

"Fuck! I thought I was running late."

"Well there is coffee in the kitchen if you'd like some."

"Thanks."

Slightly fuming, he stalked into the kitchen and got a cup of coffee. No wonder he was still tired, awake hours before he should be. He grabbed the coffee and slowly made his way into the living room again. He sat down in an armchair opposite him and propped his feet up on a coffee table.

He took a long drink from his coffee mug, but when he heard no sound from her put the mug down and looked at her. Of course, she was completely engrossed by some book she was reading.

Except he had read that book before and he knew first had that it was no normal book and that it had come from his personal library at home.

"So that's where that book went to."

She jumped slightly at the sudden sound of his voice.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I took it when I was there for a meeting with your father and my father. I found it pretty boring so I went off to the library."

"Oh, I don't mind. I didn't like it anyway."

"Really? I find if completely interesting. This could be us some day, Draco."

Draco stared at her hard. "Hermione, how long have you known, personally, a Death Eater?"

She looked slightly taken aback and then reluctantly answered, "Well…I guess only since I found out who I was. But that doesn't mean--."

"No, Hermione. That's exactly what it means. You don't know what they are really like. Yes, I'm sure my father was very pleasant with you. And your father surely would do anything for you. But they really aren't something to aspire to be."

Her jaw went slack. Draco bleeding Malfoy, whose very own father was the Dark Lord's right hand man, was telling her the whole lot of Death Eaters were nothing to want to be. She looked and him and sent him a glare to rival only that of her father's. She slammed the book shut and dropped it loudly on the table.

"You don't know what you are talking about, Malfoy."

As he watched her walk out the portrait hole, he suddenly was seething with anger. Who does she think she is? She knows a Death Eater for 3 months and she suddenly knows everything about being one and about what they are like. Well he knew she had no idea. He knew she would only find out the hard way.

She was simply fuming as she quickly walked downstairs and out of the castle. She made her way to the edge of the grounds, where she would be able to Apparate. As soon as she got there, she apparated straight to Malfoy Manor.

The guards around the mansion alerted Lucius Malfoy to someone's arrival at his home. No sooner had he stood up from his chair, did the doorbell ring. He quickly made his way to the door and opened it, revealing a very disheveled and pissed off looking Hermione.

"Wh-What are you _doing_ here?" He asked, completely surprised and utterly bewildered at the sight of her on his front doorstep.

She merely asked "Where is my father. I need to see him _now._" The Senior Malfoy, still with a look of surprise and confusion on his face, led her to the room he had been in only moments before. As they walked in, the Dark Lord was sitting patiently in a chair opposite the one Lucius Malfoy just sat himself in. He, on the other hand, did not look surprised of confused one bit.

"Father. I need to speak with you. _Privately._" She added and shot a sideways glance and Lucius. The Dark Lord motioned that he should leave and he somewhat reluctantly got up and left the father and daughter alone.

"What can I do for you, Hermione?"

"Draco…he- well he knows. And we were getting along, you know? But then we had a row. Because he said the whole lot of Death Eaters weren't to be looked up to. I-I left him and I came here."

For the first time since she had spoken, she looked at her father. He looked positively livid. She couldn't tell, though, if it was because he knew or because of what he said.

"You _told him_? I _specifically_ told you not to, you stupid, stupid girl!"

She looked mortified. Her heart beat steadily increased and her father's yelling did. Soon, she noticed a man appear in the corner of the room. He was someone she had never seen before, and didn't really care about him, besides the fact that he kept throwing her a disgusting grin when she would look over at him.

Before she could register it, he was standing next to her father's armchair. He was tall and muscular and definitely frightening. Her father whispered a few words into the man's ear. His grin grew even larger at the words, and before she knew it he had grabbed her by the hair and was dragging her out of the room.

Lucius was standing outside the doors and she screamed for him to help, but he merely just went back into the room to talk more with the Dark Lord. 

The man dragged her down the hall, with her kicking and screaming all the way. Through her panic, she realized they were headed towards the guest bedrooms. Her heartbeat pounded harder in her chest and her breathing became heavier. _What was her father doing?_

She screwed her eyes shut and felt herself getting dragged into a room on the left side of the hallway. The man pulled her up by her hair and pushed her harder into the room. She tripped and hit her head on the footboard of the bed. She whimpered and lifted her hand gingerly to her head. As she did this the man slapped her hard, pushing her onto her side with the force. He kicked her in the stomach, making her moan in pain and curl into a ball, her screwed up in an expression of pain. He wrapped his hand around her forearm and threw her onto the bed.

He reached for his wand and cast a silencing spell on the room. Her ribs were cracked and when she tried to stand up, she gasped in pain and fell back onto the bed. He climbed on the bed, undressing her. Steady tears were falling down her face now. Yet all she could think of is why they weren't helping her.

At 9:45, Draco headed to Transfiguration, the first class of the day. Despite the anger that was boiling inside him mere hours ago, he was starting to get worried. Surely she wouldn't miss the first class of the year.

Transfiguration went by smoothly, as they were beginning human transfiguration. Yet she didn't return. Nor was she there for Potions. Or Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was time for lunch now and any anger that he had in him was drowned out by worry when there was still no sign of her in the castle.

He quickly made his way up to the Head dorms and looked again in her room and in the bathroom. She wasn't there or in the common room or kitchen. He dejectedly walked back into the common room and sat on the couch. He didn't have another class, Arithmancy, until 3:00 and now it was only 12:15. He watched the fire dance merrily in front of him, trying to distract himself.

At 2:00, he heard a noise from outside the portrait. He looked up and saw her walk in. Her hair was a mess and she was clutching her stomach. Her face was dirty and her clothes were ripped. A few tears running down her face.

He ran over to her and just in time because as he did, her legs gave way. He led her to the couch and sat her down. Her arms were wrapped firmly around his neck, not giving the appearance of letting go. He let her rest like that until her crying subsided.

Carefully, he asked where she had been, what happened, and voiced his concern. He saw her face screw up in pain. "He-I-he had-he had them beat and-and…rape me," she said in barely an audible whisper before choking on a sob again.

"What? Who? Who is he?"

"I-Oh, Draco you were right about them. My-my father. He was upset with me. You-You weren't supposed to know about me. He-he was furious. There was a man. He told the man to do it. You-you were right."

Draco looked down at the girl silently crying into his chest. A hatred he had never felt for the Dark Lord and his group of followers swelled in his chest. He gripped her even closer, yet all he could do was try and comfort her, and try and keep her safe from them.

A/n: HELLO NEW DIRECTION IN STORY! Yes, when I first started this story, I wanted Hermione to be evil. But then while writing it I realized 1) I don't really want her to be anymore and 2) It would be too hard to write for me because I never pictured her like that at all. So here is the new LONGER chapter. Review!


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